Power Outages Reported

Tampa Electric is currently reporting that approximately 88,000 customers without electric service.

The company is still being impacted by the storms passing through the service
area. It plans to communicate estimated restoration times as soon as it can
assess the impact from today's severe weather. Tampa Electric crews and other
team members are working diligently to assess the situation and restore power
as quickly and safely as possible.

The outages are widespread throughout the service area, which includes all of
Hillsborough County and parts of Polk, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

In addition to the numerous precautions area residents can take to protect
their families and property, here are a few key tips:

• Stay away from any downed power lines. These lines may still be energized.

If so, they are dangerous. Downed lines do not have to pop and snap to be
energized. All persons should avoid any contact with any downed line or any
object, such as a tree branch, fence, vehicle or even water that has come in
contact with a downed power line. It is safest to assume any downed power line
is energized.

•  Use portable generators safely. DO NOT connect a portable generator to

home circuits. Plug appliances directly to the generator. Connecting a
generator to home circuits may cause power to flow to outside lines, posing
life-threatening danger to restoration crews. Also, portable generators must
NOT be taken into a residence or any enclosed space where deadly carbon
monoxide gasses could build up. There are also other devices, such as
invertors, that can provide some emergency backup power for small appliances
through an automobile engine. (Note: this should not be done in a closed
garage.)

• Obtain a telephone that plugs directly into the wall jack. Portable

household telephones won't work without electricity and area cell phone
systems could be disrupted.

• In the event of an outage, prepare the home for power restoration.

Customers should make sure their homes are ready to safely receive electricity
once power has been restored. Make sure there are no flammable items on the
stove, no irons left on or other potentially dangerous situations. Turn off as
many appliances as possible that require electricity and turn them on one by
one after power is restored. This causes less stress to the power system and
ensures that all customers get restored without unnecessary delays. Customers
may want to leave their front porch light on to let you know when power is
restored. When in doubt, or when leaving the home for an extended period,
customers should switch off their power at the main breaker.

For additional outage updates and information about Tampa Electric's storm
plans, visit www.tampaelectric.com, then the "Weather Watch" section that also
includes current weather information.

To report a power outage or electrical emergency such as a downed power line,
call Tampa Electric's dedicated toll-free automated system at 1-877-588-1010.